Thursday, July 21 ~ Miriam

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Psalm 1-2, Psalm 10, Acts 16:22-40.

Paul and Silas were severely flogged and thrown in prison for costing somebody money.  If you recall from yesterday's reading, they sent a spirit out of a slave girl which meant her owners couldn't charge people for her fortune-telling services any longer.  And yet, all this came together for the purposes of leading the jailer and his family to Christ!  I wonder... how many of us would be singing hymns?  Praying; yes.  In fact, I can tell you that my prayer would probably be "please get us out of here... please get us out of here... "  Maybe that's what Paul and Silas were praying for as well; it doesn't say.  Would I be asking for ways to minister during this experience?  Probably not.  I wish I could say yes, but I doubt it.  Would I be asking that God would use my circumstances to his honour and glory?  Maybe, but in my head I'd probably be thinking of ways my release would bring him honour and glory, not my captivity.  As we know, God released them by way of an earthquake, and consequently they were able to tell the jailer and his family the Good News.

I wondered why Paul would ask that the magistrates were to come themselves to escort them out of the jail.  The following excerpt from A Closer Look at Open and Closed Doors says the following:

 Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They had been deprived of their rights as citizens of Rome. The beating they received, and their imprisonment, were illegal. The magistrates were undoubtedly hoping that Paul and Silas would silently slip out of town, never to be seen again. But that was not going to happen. Paul is not just “standing up for his rights;” he is standing up for what is right, and for what is best for the gospel, and for the new church.

In the future, Roman officials might feel the freedom to abuse Roman citizens who were Christians. They could beat them, and then let them go, just as they had done to Paul and Silas. The end result would be detrimental to the spread of the gospel. No. They were wrong to mistreat Roman citizens. Now they must publicly acknowledge their wrongdoing by making a public apology. This would leave Paul and Silas (and others who were Roman citizens) the right to travel freely among the churches in the empire. It would protect the church in Philippi from governmental oppression. Paul would not accept “freedom at any price.” He insisted that the officials obey the laws they were also charged to enforce. He took his beating well, but he did not tolerate injustice. I suspect that word of Paul’s actions made its way to other cities, and this may have given those officials pause. If they treated Paul and Silas illegally, they would be held responsible. Let me say it again; Paul’s “rights” are not primary here, but what is right, especially for the advance of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire.

Happy Thursday!  Enjoy your weekend.

Tomorrow's passage:  Psalm 33, 43, 66, Philippians 1.